Modular rack system with gussetless joints

ABSTRACT

A modular rack system, for adjustably attaching equipment to a vehicle, includes a base mountable on a side wall of the vehicle. The rack system has a first wall that is disposed on and upwardly emanating from the top surface of the base that defines a lower seat. One end of a vertical member resides in the lower seat and is secured thereto. The other end of the vertical member resides in an upper seat defining by a downwardly depending wall from a saddle and is secured thereto. The first and second walls laterally stabilize the vertical member relative to the base and saddle to permit the base to be mounted to a side wall of a vehicle and a top rail to be secured to the saddle without the use of gussets or cross-braces.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is related to and claims priority from earlier filedprovisional patent application Ser. No. 61/179,163, filed May 18, 2009,the entire contents thereof is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to equipment for vehicles, such aspickup trucks, and more particularly to a releasably attachable andadjustable rack system having sliding connections and many otheraccessories for attaching to the overhead rack of the vehicle.

Vehicle racks and systems are very well known in the art. They canconnect to various parts of the vehicle such as a cab and side walls ofa truck bed. The rack systems that typically connect to a truck bedinclude a frame-like structure that includes a connection for attachingthe rack to a vehicle as well as a structure for receiving accessoriesfor customizing the rack system. For example, the rack system commonlyincludes a base or footing, a vertical tube or post, a cross-rail and astructure for connecting these components together.

For example, FIGS. 1-4 Illustrate a known prior art rack system 10.FIGS. 1-4 are of interest because they employ components that arepermanently welded together and use gusseted braces 12 to form thedesired configuration. As in FIG. 1, the base 14 is welded to the bottomof an upright member 16, which is further reinforced by the gussetedbrace 12. The top of the tube is also welded to a top saddle member 18,which is also further reinforced by a gusseted brace 12. As a result, aunitary rack member, that includes a base 14, an upright tube 16 and asaddle 18, is provided. This general construction can be seen in U.S.Pat. No. 7,014,236. This patent is of interest for its teachings of avehicle rack system 10 that uses gusseted braces 12 to better securerack members relative to each other and to provide a more rigid jointconnection.

FIG. 2 is a close-up view of a prior art rack system 10 that includes ahorizontal base member 14 that is clamped to the side wall 20 of avehicle, such as a pick up truck. A vertical member 16 is permanentlywelded to the horizontal member 14 to provide an upright structure. Atop saddle 18 is a also permanently attached to the top of the verticalmember 16 for receipt of a top rail 22 and other accessories thereon, asis well known in the art. Such a known construction can be seen in FIG.3 where a top rail 22 can support equipment, such as ladders, and thelike. The clamps 24 are adjustable to permit the horizontal member 14,and thereby the vertical member 16, to permit a customized installation,as can be seen in FIG. 4. Typically, a set of four horizontal members 14and associated vertical members 16 are used to provide a pair of toprails 22 for location at a desired distance D from each other, as can beseen in FIG. 4. This construction is so well known in the art thatfurther discussion herein is not required.

Although the prior art systems function acceptably as rack systems, theysuffer from a number of disadvantages that make them undesirable. Forexample, a base horizontal member 14, a vertical upright member 16 andtop saddle 18 are typically welded together, which results in astructure that is unacceptably large in size, which makes shipping verydifficult because a large box must be used. This oversize packaging addscosts to shipping and, as a result, adds to the cost of the rack system.Also, such a prior art structure is very labor intensive because partsmust be welded together. Such welding requires expensive parts andcomponents and is a time consuming and expensive manufacturing process.Missed weld locations will also make the rack “non functional” out ofthe box forcing customer to return the product. Moreover, weldedproducts add weight to the overall package thereby adding cost and,unfortunately, welds, best seen as 26 in FIG. 4, are susceptible tofailure over time. If there is a failure, it is very difficult andexpensive to replace only a portion of the entire welded structure. So,as a result, wasteful replacement of the entire welded unitary structureis typically required.

Also, a structure that is welded requires cumbersome gusseted braces 12to supplement the welds so that acceptable rigidity can be achieved.These braces 12 add cost and further increase manufacturing time therebyfurther adding to the overall costs of production.

A permanently welded structure takes away most if not all of thecustomization options because the horizontal member, the vertical memberand saddle are permanently fixed to each other in a given configuration.Thus, such a permanently welded structure makes it more difficult toprovide options and flexibility for the user. As a result, prior artrack systems 10 are not conducive to a desirable modular rack system.

Finally, the permanent welds 26 and cross-braces 12 and gussets 12 of arack system 10 are very unattractive in appearance as these welds 26 andbraces 12 are readily visible.

In view of the foregoing, there is a demand for a rack system thateliminates welds to increase manufacturing capacity by removing thetedious welding process. There is a demand to directly cast in thereinforcing geometry into the base and the saddle to obviate the needfor gusseted braces. There is a demand for a rack system that is evenstiffer without gusseted braces by using a component that is thicker inthe existing welded locations from the prior art rack system 10. Thereis also a need for a system that is modular so the user can customizeand configure the system to what they need by mixing and matchinghorizontal bases, vertical upright members and top saddles, as well astop rails and accessories. A new rack system is desired that does notuse a unitary welded structure to enable different variations of thehorizontal member, vertical member and top saddle to be used and toobviate the need for expensive welding. Also, there is a need for amodular system so if one part of the system fails, only one smallcomponent is replaced rather than a larger unitary welded part. There isa also a need for a rack system that is more attractive and sleek inappearance and one that looks like a unitary structure but is actually amodular bolted component system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention preserves the advantages of prior art racksystems, such as those used in vehicles. In addition, it provides newadvantages not found in currently available systems and overcomes manydisadvantages of such currently available systems.

A modular rack system, for adjustably attaching equipment to a vehicle,includes a base mountable on a side wall of the vehicle. The rack systemhas a first wall that is disposed on and upwardly emanating from the topsurface of the base that defines a lower seat. One end of a verticalmember resides in the lower seat and is secured thereto. The other endof the vertical member resides in an upper seat defining by a downwardlydepending wall from a saddle and is secured thereto. The first andsecond walls laterally stabilize the vertical member relative to thebase and saddle to permit the base to be mounted to a side wall of avehicle and a top rail to be secured to the saddle without the use ofgussets or cross-braces.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a modularrack system that eliminates welds to increase manufacturing capacity byremoving the tedious welding process.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rack system thatdirectly formed, such as by casting or extrusion or the like, therequired reinforcing geometry into the base and the saddle to obviatethe need for gusseted braces.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a modular racksystem that is even stiffer without gusseted braces by using a componentthat is thicker in the existing welded locations from the prior art racksystem 10.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a rack systemthat is modular in nature so the user can customize and configure thesystem to suit their current needs by mixing and matching horizontalbases, vertical upright members and top saddles, as well as top railsand accessories.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a modular racksystem that is devoid of any welding to reduce the overall costs ofproduction of the rack system.

An object of the present invention is to provide a modular system so ifone part of the system fails, only one small component will need to bereplaced rather than one large unitary welded part.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a rack systemthat is more aesthetically appealing than prior art rack systems.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The novel features which are characteristic of the present invention areset forth in the appended claims. However, the invention's preferredembodiments, together with further objects and attendant advantages,will be best understood by reference to the following detaileddescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is rear perspective view of a prior art rack system that with atop rail that is reinforced by a gusseted brace;

FIG. 2 is a close up view of a base of a prior art rack system that isreinforced by a welded gusseted brace;

FIG. 3 is a prior art rack system rear perspective view of a base thatis reinforced with a welded gusseted brace;

FIG. 4 is rear perspective view of another prior art rack system thatuses gusseted brace reinforcement for the base and rails;

FIG. 5 is a diametric perspective view of the modular rack system of thepresent invention;

FIG. 6 is an elevational view of the modular rack system of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a an exploded perspective view of the horizontal base member,tubular vertical member and top saddle construction;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a vertical tube used in the invention ofFIG. 5;

FIG. 9 is a end perspective view of the vertical tube of FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a front elevational view of the vertical tube of FIG. 7;

FIG. 11 is a front perspective view of sliding lock assembly inaccordance with the modular rack system of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a rear perspective view of the sliding lock assembly;

FIG. 13 is a right elevational view of the sliding lock assembly;

FIG. 14 is a front elevational view of the sliding lock assembly;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the base of the sliding lock assembly;

FIG. 16 is a front side elevational view of the base of the sliding lockassembly;

FIG. 17 is a top view of the base of the sliding lock assembly;

FIG. 18 is a bottom view of the base of the sliding lock assembly;

FIG. 19 is a top perspective view of the saddle of the modular racksystem of the present invention;

FIG. 20 is a front view of the saddle;

FIG. 21 is a side view of the saddle;

FIG. 22 is a bottom perspective view of the saddle;

FIG. 23 is a top view of the saddle;

FIG. 24 is a perspective view of a top rail secured to a vertical tubeusing the unique saddle of the present invention;

FIG. 25 is a bottom perspective view of the interconnection of FIG. 24;

FIG. 26 is a perspective view of a top rail used with the presentinvention;

FIG. 27 is a perspective view of a saddle, shown in shadow forillustrative purposes, attached to a vertical tube; and

FIG. 28 is a side view of the saddle and vertical tube of FIG. 26.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The modular rack system 100 of the present invention is shown in detailin

FIGS. 5-28. Generally, FIGS. 5 and 6 show the overall new modular racksystem 100 while FIGS. 8-10 show the structure of unique verticalupright tubular member 116 and FIGS. 11-18 show the horizontal basemember 114 and its interconnection to the vertical upright tubularmember 116. FIGS. 19-23 show the structure of the top saddle 118 indetail. FIGS. 24-28 show the interconnection of the top saddle 118 tothe top rail 122 to complete the rack system 100 of the presentinvention. The top rail 122 is preferably of a length that can spanacross the distance between two side walls 20 of a vehicle. For example,the top rail 122 may be of a length of 65″ inches to 69.5″ inches, butcan be any length to meet the given application at hand. FIG. 7 shows anexploded view of the three components of the horizontal base member 114,the vertical tubular member 116 and top saddle 118.

Referring first to FIGS. 5 and 6, the overall rack system 100 is shownto include a horizontal member 114 that serves as a base thatcommunicates with a clamp assembly 124 to secure the rack system 100 toa support, such as a side wall 20 of a truck bed, as can be seen in FIG.3. Any type of clamp system 124 may be employed by the present inventionas long as the horizontal base member 114 is secured to the side wall20. Preferably, the clamp system 124 is releasably secured to the sidewall 20 of a vehicle so that the horizontal base member 114 can bepositioned at any desired location along the length of the side wall 20.However, the frontmost vertical members 116 are recommended to sit asfar forward as possible behind a rear window of a vehicle and therearmost vertical members 116 to sit as far back as possible to optimizestructural rigidity. Further, this enables the opposing horizontal basemembers 114 to also be adjusted so that the location of the entire rackstructure 10 can be located where desired along the length of the sidewalls 20. In turn, an assembled rack 100 can be located where desired.

Details of the horizontal base member 114 will be discussed below inconnection with FIGS. 11-18.

Still referring to FIGS. 5-7, a vertical upright member 116, such as inthe form of a tube, is received in and secured to the horizontal basemember 114 at its bottom end 116 a. It should be noted that both ends ofthe vertical upright members 116 a, 116 b are identical to facilitateinstallation. Details of the vertical upright member 116 will bediscussed in detail below in connection with FIGS. 8-10.

The top end 116 b of the vertical upright member resides in and issecured to a top saddle 118. Details of the top saddle 118 will bediscussed in detail below in connection with FIGS. 19-22. Theinterconnection of the vertical upright member 114 to the top saddlewill be discussed in connection with FIGS. 24-28 below.

As can be best seen in FIGS. 5-7, a top rail 122 is releasably connectedto a top saddle 118 to complete one half of the modular rack system ofthe present invention. The opposing side of the rack system 100 isconstructed in the same fashion and is a mirror image thereof.Therefore, one half of a rack includes two horizontal base members 114,two vertical upright members 116 and two top saddles 118 and one toprail 122 spanning thereacross. It should also be understood that atleast two entire racks are preferably used in spaced apart relation toeach other to provide at least two top rails 122. FIG. 5 shows two rackswith two top rails 122 to form the rack system 100 of the presentinvention. This general configuration is well suited to provide asupport for items on the top surface 122 a of the top rails 122.Additional accessories (not shown) can also be attached to the topsurface 122 a and bottom surface 122 b of the top rails 122. For ease ofdiscussion herein, the weldless and modular interconnection of a singlehorizontal base member 114, single vertical upright member 116 and topsaddle 118 will be addressed herein. It should be understood that theother connections to complete and entire rack system 100 are the sameand, therefore, need not be discussed, although are covered by thepresent invention.

First, the construction of the vertical upright member 116 will bediscussed in detail. FIG. 8 shows the unique vertical upright member 116of the present invention. A tubular construction is preferably formed byextrusion but can be formed by other processes, such as casting, and thelike. As can best be seen in FIGS. 9 and 10, the tubular vertical member116 is not merely a hollow or solid tube as in the prior art but rathera preferably extruded part. The walls of the extrusion are preferably0.080″ on the perimeter, 0.080″ on the support ribs and 0.140″ aroundthe female threads but may be any desired thickness. This verticalmember 116 is preferably extruded from aluminum but may be formed of anymaterial. The vertical upright member 116 preferably has a generalrectangular cross-sectional shape with the short sides of therectangular profile being rounded. The rounded profile provides anattractive aesthetic appearance. As in FIGS. 9 and 10, the height of thevertical member 116 is preferably 3.000″ inches and the width ispreferably 1.250″ inches.

Use of an extrusion process enables a uniquely configured part to beprovided that has a number of apertures formed, generally referred to as128, that longitudinally run throughout the entire length of the part.This construction permits large voids 130 to be formed to reduce theoverall weight of the part, which results in a large cost savings.Further, the longitudinally running circular apertures 132 arewell-suited to be tapped to receive fasteners therein.

For this purpose, preferably, a pair of such circular apertures 132 areprovided that are tapped using known methods to turn the extrudedapertures into females threaded bores 132 that are suitable for receiptof fasteners 134, such as bolts, as will be described below.

FIGS. 11-18, along with FIG. 7, show the interconnection of a horizontalbase member 114 to the extruded tubular vertical member 116. Turningfirst to FIGS. 15-18, the horizontal base member 114, in which thetubular vertical member 116 will be installed, has an upstanding wall114 a that defines a seat 114 b, which defines a floor 114 c for receiptof a first end 116 a of the tubular vertical member 116 therein. Theupstanding wall 114 a is dimensioned to accommodate the size andconfiguration of the cross-sectional profile of the bottom end 116 a ofvertical member 116 shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. The appearance of theinterconnection of the vertical member 116 into the upstanding wall 114a, as in FIG. 11, has a very aesthetically pleasing appearance,particularly because it is devoid of any welds and all fasteningconnections are completely hidden. This also eliminates the need for agusset.

The horizontal member 114 includes a primary plate 114 d to support theupstanding wall 114 a and provide a floor 114 c upon which the lower end116 a of the vertical member 116 will sit. This primary plate 114 d maybe of any size and configuration as long as it can sit on top of a sidewall 20 of a vehicle and be secured thereto. For example, the length ofthe primary plate is preferably 16.0″ inches but can be of any length,as desired. A secondary plate 114 e is optionally included, whichdownwardly depends from the edge of the primary plate 114 d that facingtoward the center of the vehicle. This secondary plate 114 e helpssecure the horizontal member 116 in place on the top of a side wall 20of a vehicle.

As seen in FIGS. 17 and 18, a pair of pass-through apertures 136 isprovided through the floor 114 c of the primary plate 114 d that resideswithin the upstanding wall 114 a. This pair of apertures 136 matcheswith the threaded bores 132 on the end of the vertical upright member116. The floor 114 c is configured at an angle, preferably 13.5 degrees,so that the vertical upright 116 closely matches the cab angle of thetruck. Also, this angled positioning provides a stronger geometry thanif the uprights were at 90 degrees.

An end of the vertical upright member 116 is inserted into the seat 114b defined by the upstanding wall 114 a to effectuate matching of therespective apertures 136 and threaded bores 132. Referring to FIG. 11,bolt fasteners 134 are inserted up through the pass-through apertures136 in the primary plate 114 d and into threaded engagement with thethreaded bores 132 in the end 116 a of the vertical upright member 116.The male threaded bolts 134 are tightened to secure the horizontal basemember 114 to the vertical upright member 116 without welding. In fact,this connection and all connections are preferably carried out by theend user.

As can be best seen in FIG. 18, the bottom side of the primary plate 114d of the horizontal member 114 has countersunk holes 136 so that thehead 134 a of the bolt 134 residing therein is flush with or below thebottom surface of the base 114. Preferably, a C′ sink hole with flathead cap screws are preferably used to achieve self-alignment with thecasting and the mating features. So, as in FIG. 14, the base 114 canrest against the top of a side wall of a truck bed or other supportsurface without interference. A number of clamps 124, such as 8 clampsper rack, are preferably used, as to secure the base to the top edge ofwall of truck bed. A C-clamp construction 124 with a threaded bolt 124 aand foot 124 b can be used. The clamps 124 shown are by way of exampleonly. Any type of suitable clamping system may be used. In thisparticular example, a channel 114 f can be formed in the top surface ofthe primary plate 114 d to receive a top pad 124 c of the C-clamp 124 tohelp secure the C-clamp 124 in place. This structure can be seen inFIGS. 11, 12, 15-17.

The horizontal base member 114 is preferably cast but can be formed byany process. The horizontal base member includes a geometry about theseat 114 b that has, preferably, an upward sloping configuration towardthe seat 114 b (downwardly sloping away from the seat) to providelateral stability and rigidity. This allows for gussets to be completelyeliminated overcoming a disadvantage in the prior art. The upstandingwall 114 a preferably positions the vertical upright member 116 at anangle less than 90 degrees to add further strength to the overallconstruction 100. For example, an angle of 76.5 degrees is preferablyused. As a result of the geometry of the upstanding side wall 114 a andthe thickness of the seat 114 b of the horizontal base member 114, thereis no need for additional gusseted braces. In general, the width of theupstanding wall 114 a of the horizontal base member 114 is preferablylarger at its bottom than at its top.

Both ends 116 a and 116 b of the tubular vertical member 116 areequipped with tapped holes 132. As above, a first, lower end 116 a issecured to the horizontal base member 114, as seen in FIG. 7, 11-13, forexample. FIGS. 24-28 show the interconnection of the second, upper end116 b of the vertical tubular member 116 to a top saddle 118. As will bediscussed in detail below, a top rail 122 is then attached to topsaddles 118 to complete the rack system 100.

Turning next to FIGS. 19-23, details of the construction of the saddle118 is shown. The top saddle 118 is provided as an upper interconnectioninterface between the tubular vertical member 116 and the top rail 122.In similar fashion to the horizontal base member 114, the top saddle 118includes a wall 118 a to define a seat 118 b that receives the top end116 b of the tubular vertical member 116 so that the tapped holes 132 onthe top end 116 b of the tubular vertical member 116 align with the passthrough holes 140 shown in FIG. 22. This is very similar to thestructure for securing the bottom end 116 a of the vertical tubularmember 116 into the seat 114 b on the horizontal base member 114. FIGS.19 and 23 show the opposing side of the top saddle 118 where theapertures 140 have a countersunk configuration so the heads 134 a of thefastening bolts 134 remain flush to or sit below the opposing surface,which is configured to receive and secure to a top rail 122. C′ Sinkholes with flat head cap screws are preferably used to allow the bolt toself align with the casting and mating features. FIGS. 27 and 28illustrate a side view of the interconnection of a top saddle 118 to theupper end 116 b of the tubular vertical member 116.

The seat 118 b is formed by a downwardly depending wall 118 a that issimilar to the upstanding wall 114 a found on the horizontal base member114. The downwardly depending wall 118 a is dimensioned to accommodatethe size and configuration of the cross-sectional profile of the top endof the vertical member 116 b shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. The appearance ofthe interconnection of the vertical member 116 into the downwardlydepending wall 118 a, as in FIG. 25, has a very aesthetically pleasingappearance, particularly because it is devoid of any welds and allfastening connections are completely hidden. This also eliminates theneed for a gusset. The angle of the positioning of the downwardlydepending wall 118 a is preferably complementary to the angle of theupstanding wall 114 a so that top surface 118 c of the top saddle 118remains parallel to the ground so that a top rail 122 mounted theretoalso remains positioned parallel to the ground. Different combinationsof angles are possible although a top rail 122 that is parallel toground is preferred.

With the top saddle 118 (and top saddle 118 on the opposing side of therack) secured to the upper end 116 b of the tubular vertical member 116,the top rail 122 may be installed. The interconnection of the top rail122 to the top saddles 118 is illustrated in connection with FIGS.24-26. FIG. 26 shows a perspective view of the top rail 122 that ispreferably used in the present invention. As can be seen, a channels 122a runs longitudinally along the length of the top rail on both the topand bottom sides thereof. A bolt 142 is partially threaded into a nut144 and then the nut 144 is slid laterally into the channel 112 a on thebottom side of the top rail 122 with the head of the bolt 142 locatedwithin a bolt seat 146 on the top saddle 118. A second bolt 142 and nut144 are threaded and similarly threaded into the channel 122 a on theopposing side of the top rail 122 with the head of a bolt 142 residingin the bolt seat 146 on that opposing top saddle 118. The opposing topsaddle 118 is also similarly configured. At this point, the top rail 122can still freely slide along the top saddles 118. The grooving 118 d onthe top surface of the top saddle 118 is configured to be complementaryto the grooving 122 b on the outer surface of the top rail 122 to helpsecure the top rail 122 in place, particularly during initialinstallation. Once the position of the top rail 122 is desired relativeto the top saddles 118, the rail bolts 142 can be tightened therebypulling the top rail 122 into secure engagement with the top saddles118. Accessories can be attached to this bottom channel 122 a or to thechannel 122 a on the top side of the top rail 122 using the sameinterconnection construction as the top saddle 118 to the bottom surfaceof the top rail 122.

Finally, a cosmetic end cap 146 is installed onto the free ends of thetop rail 122. This end cap 146 can be secured in many different ways,such as by providing a tab with a female threaded bore that emanatesfrom the end cap to engage with a bolt that passes through the top railitself (not shown). The cosmetic end caps 146 also help preventaccessories from falling out with any item held within the channel 122a.

Although preferred in accordance with the present invention, the abovestructure for interconnecting the tubular vertical member 116 to a tosaddle 118 is one of many that can be employed. Other interconnectionstructures are considered within the scope of the present invention.

The sides of the top saddles 118 are configured with a geometry profile,in similar fashion to the horizontal base member 114 as above, toobviate the need for gusseted braces. The profiling is preferablysimilar to that of the horizontal base members 114 but may be modifiedto suit the application at hand. The horizontal base members 114 and topsaddles 118 are configured for left and right hand location, as can beseen in FIG. 7 to provide both sides of the support for top rail 122.

The horizontal base members 114 and the top saddles 118 are preferablymade of cast aluminum and the vertical tubular members and the top rails122 are preferably made of extruded aluminum. However, other suitablematerials can be used and still be within the scope of the presentinvention.

Generally, the interconnection of the horizontal base member 114 to thebottom end 116 a of the extruded tubular vertical member 116 and the topsaddle 118 to the top end 116 b of the extruded tubular vertical member116 are similar although the overall configuration of the horizontalbase member 114 and the top saddle 118 are different as theyinterconnect to different structures. The horizontal base member 114 ispreferably elongated because it typically rests on the elongated topedge of the side wall 20 of a truck bed. The top saddle 118 includes atop surface that is well suited to receive a top rail 122 that cansupport and receive accessories, and the like.

The rail system 100 of the present invention enables a modularconstruction that can ship to the point of purchase or to the consumerin a compact package where the horizontal base members 114, tubularvertical members 116, top saddles 118 and top rails 122 (and otherparts) are separate pieces and in an unassembled form.

In view of the foregoing, the unique modular rack system 100 of thepresent invention does not include welded parts, gussets or braces.Welds are eliminated to increase manufacturing capacity by avoiding thetedious welding process. Reinforcing geometry is cast into thehorizontal base member 114 and the top saddle 118 to obviate the needfor separate gusseted braces. The rack system 100 of the presentinvention is even more stiff that the prior art racks with gussetedbraces by using a component that is thicker in the existing weldedlocations from the prior art rack system 10. In the present invention,thicker areas on the saddle 118 and the horizontal base 114 are providedto the needed support and rigidity to obviate the need for gussets. Thisis in contrast to the same regions in prior art constructions that arenot thicker but are simply welded. However, the prior art weldedconstructions are still not strong enough thereby still requiring theuse of gussets and braces. Thus, the configuration of the presentinvention, with its thicker regions, is a significant advance over priorart constructions.

The rack system 100 of the present invention is modular so the user cancustomize and configure the system to what they need by mixing andmatching bases, tubes and saddles (as well as top rails andaccessories). In the event one part of the system fails, only one smallcomponent is replaced rather than the larger unitary welded part. Therack system 100 of the present invention is more attractive and sleek inappearance than prior art devices. Moreover, the inventive rack system100 has the appearance of a unitary structure but is actually a modularbolted component system.

It would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changesand modifications can be made to the illustrated embodiments withoutdeparting from the spirit of the present invention. All suchmodifications and changes are intended to be covered by the appendedclaims.

1. A modular rack system for adjustably attaching equipment to avehicle, the vehicle having a pair of spaced apart side walls and abottom wall which together defines an open bed, the modular rack systemcomprising: a base mountable on a side wall of the vehicle; the basehaving a bottom surface engageable with the side wall of the vehicle anda top surface opposite the bottom surface; means for securing the baseto the side wall of the vehicle; a first wall disposed on and upwardlyemanating from the top surface of the base defining a lower seat; avertical member having a first end and a second end; the first end ofthe vertical tubular member residing in the lower seat; means forsecuring the first end of the vertical member to the base; a saddlemember having a top surface and a bottom surface; a second walldownwardly depending from the bottom surface of the saddle memberdefining an upper seat; the second end of the vertical member residingin the upper seat; means for securing the second end of the verticalmember to the saddle; the first wall laterally stabilizing the verticalmember relative to the base and the second wall laterally stabilizingthe vertical member relative to the saddle; and a rail slidablyconnected to the top surface of the saddle.
 2. The modular rack systemof claim 1, wherein the first wall and the second wall each have aconcave and downward sloping profile away from the respective seatsdefined thereby.
 3. The modular rack system of claim 1, wherein thefirst end of the vertical member has a first female threaded boretherein and the second end of the vertical member has a second femalethreaded bore therein; the first seat defining a first pass-throughaperture therethrough and the second seat defining a second pass-throughaperture therethrough; a first fastener routed through the firstpass-through aperture and into threaded engagement with the first femalethreaded bore thereby securing the base to the first end of the verticalmember; and a second fastener routed through the second pass-throughaperture and into threaded engagement with the second female treadedbore thereby securing the saddle to the second end of the verticalmember.
 4. The modular rack system of claim 3, wherein the firstpass-through aperture defines a counter-sunk bore on the bottom surfaceof the base and the second pass-through aperture defines a counter-sunkbore on the top surface of the saddle.
 5. The modular rack system ofclaim 3, further comprising: a pair of pass-through apertures providedthrough the base with a corresponding pair of female threaded aperturesin the first end of the vertical member to respectively receive a pairof fasteners therein and through the pass-through apertures; a pair ofpass-through apertures provided through the saddle with a correspondingpair of female threaded apertures to respectively receive a pair offasteners therein and through the pair of pass-through apertures;
 6. Themodular rack assembly of claim 1, wherein the means for securing thebase to the side wall of the vehicle is a clamp.
 7. The modular rackassembly of claim 1, wherein the vertical member is tubular inconstruction.
 8. A component connection for adjustably attachingequipment to a vehicle, comprising: a horizontal member having a firstsurface and a second surface; a wall disposed on emanating from thesecond surface of the horizontal member defining a seat; a verticalmember having a first and a second end; the first end of the verticalmember residing in the seat seat; and means for securing the first endof the vertical member to the horizontal member.
 9. The componentconnection of claim 8, wherein the wall has a concave and downwardsloping profile away from the seat defined thereby.
 10. The componentconnection of claim 8, further comprising: a female threaded bore in anda defined by the first end of the vertical member; the seat defining apass-through aperture therethrough; and a fastener routed through thepass-through aperture and into threaded engagement with the femalethreaded bore thereby securing the horizontal member to the first end ofthe vertical member.
 11. The modular rack system of claim 10, whereinthe pass-through aperture defines a counter-sunk bore on the bottomsurface of the horizontal member;
 12. The modular rack system of claim10, further comprising: a pair of pass-through apertures providedthrough the horizontal member with a corresponding pair of femalethreaded apertures in the first end of the vertical member torespectively receive a pair of fasteners therein and through thepass-through apertures.
 13. The modular rack assembly of claim 8,wherein the vertical member is hollow.